Draynes Wood

Also within

Cornwall County Cornwall Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Gorge / Ravine · Rock Type: Granite

Landscape processes: Fluvial, Volcanic / Igneous

Description

Draynes Wood SSSI Description This damp wooded gorge on the River Fowey lies on the steep slopes of the southern edge of the Bodmin Moor granite, some four kilometres to the north-west of Liskeard. The soils are free draining and the majority of the woodland is composed of irregular high forest, dominated by oak, with ash Fraxinus excelsior. Some patches of sessile oak Quercus petraea have been coppiced. There is a sparse shrub layer of hazel Corylus avellana and holly Ilex aquifolium. The field layer is generally acidophilous with greater woodrush Luzula sylvatica, bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and hard fern Blechnum spicant, but on the better soils there is bracken Pteridium aquilinum and bramble Rubus fruticosus agg., with sanicle Sanicula europaea occurring locally. Draynes Wood is of particular importance as one of Cornwall’s richest sites for lower plants; 37 species of liverwort and 86 species of moss have been recorded. Of special note are the 2 nationally rare plants, the Tunbridge filmy-fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense and the moss Fissidens polyphyllus. A total of 48 lichen species are recorded including the nationally rare Parmelia dissecta and several other ancient woodland indicator species. The course of the River Fowey is broken by a series of deep pools, waterfalls and rapids, known as Golitha Falls, providing habitats for dragonflies and other insects. Dipper Cinclus cinclus and treecreeper Certhia familiaris frequent the site.

Species mentioned

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Plant communities